Making up a set of kitelines, have taken the sleeves off an old set and need to know how to get the line back in them.
Have tried a thin wire then a line of cotton but can't get the kite line through. Hard to connect the cotton to it, the line goes through double thickness, must be a trick to it, can anyone help ?
you need a tool called a "fid". For small diameter lines like kite lines, a set like these plastic or stainless ones makes it an easy task.
US$9 for plastic oneshttp://www.paragear.com/templates/base_template.asp?group=240#S7979
or US$33 for stainless
www.paragear.com/templates/base_template.asp?group=240#S7995
alternatively if you can find a small (1-2mm) diameter, hollow knitting needle, cut it to about 10cm, and tap a thread in the back end. you screw the line into the threaded hole then you have a nice pointy end on your line, which you can then thread up the inside of the sleeve and back out, then finger trap into the line to secure the loop. There are a couple of options to secure the loop (sewing or a tricky looping of the line through itself)
Other alternatives are to use a large darning needle but it's not as nice as working with a fid.
bend a piece of wire in half and push the bent end through. Thread the line through the wire and pull it through
The best sleeving material to use is the outer cover of some 2mm rope. You can buy some short lengths in the colours you want to colour code your sleeving. Simply cut it to length and pull the core out.
When you melt the ends push the tip of a pen or pencil inside the sleeving a little to flare it out so it opens up nicely. Don't melt too much or it will be too thick.
Grab an old guitar string, fold it in half and push it through the sleeving. Put the kite line through the string and start to pull it into the sleeving. Massage the end of the sleeving as you pull the folded end of the string into it.
Once you get the end of the line inside the sleeving push the sleeving down onto the line so it bunches up then pull the end of the sleeving down onto the line. Repeat this a few times and you will have the sleeving down over the line.
You don't have to use a lot of force. It's all about pushing the slack in the fibres around to make space for the line. Think of a big snake swallowing a small child and you'll get the idea. 
Why bother?
I have been cutting my lines down for years. I just cut them, tie a figure 8, and use them.
Never had a problem.
Thanks for the replies, I ended up buying some 2mm rope and using the outer sleeve. I think the knitting needle would be okay but don't have a tap that size.
Craigus what do you attach onto the figure 8 knot? I thought it would to small a knot to hold anything?
)
I recently replaced my middle lines. I also unpicked the sleeves from the old ones and used them on the new lines I made up.
The best way I found was to get some polly thread and sew around the top of the line once or twice then on the last round send the needle through the center of the line so it sticks out the middle like a center core and I also dip the ends in wax to keep the tips from fraying, melting only works well if you have a tool to krimp the ends...
Then I get a kebab skewer and place the sleeve over the skewer and slide it on that way pushing the sleeve down on the line and pulling the polly cord up. I think it would work even better if you can find a 2mm needle/sharft thing but I made do with the skewer......
